Army Soldier Killed by Pakistani Sniper in J&K's Poonch, Fourth in Four Days

Jammu: An Army soldier was killed and another injured Monday by a Pakistani sniper along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, a defence spokesperson said.

Two Army personnel fell to sniping in Sunderbani and Noushera sectors of Rajouri district on Saturday and Sunday, while an Army porter lost his life in a similar attack in Akhnoor sector of Jammu district a day earlier.

At about 5.15 PM Monday, Pakistan Army resorted to an unprovoked ceasefire violation in Krishna Ghati Sector (Mendhar) on the Line of Control (LoC), resulting in the death of a soldier and injuring another, the spokesperson said.

Lance Naik Antony Sebastian KM was critically injured and succumbed to gunshot injuries.

Havildar Mari Muthu D was critically injured in the firing, he said, adding that immediate resuscitation and medical aid was provided to the soldier and has been evacuated to Military Hospital, Poonch.

Lance Naik Antony Sebastian KM, 34, belonged to Manakunnam village in Kerala and is survived by his wife.

"The Indian Army has retaliated strongly and effectively on Pakistan Army posts. The martyrdom of the Indian Army soldier will not go in vain," he said.

On Sunday, Naik Gosavi Keshav Somgir, 29, was killed in unprovoked ceasefire violation in Noushera sector and on Saturday Rifleman Varun Kattal, 21, a resident of Mawa-Rajpura area of Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir, was killed in Sunderbani sector.

Earlier, an Army porter lost his life in Akhnoor sector on Friday.

The officials said Indian troops guarding the border retaliated strongly and effectively following the latest ceasefire violation.

The casualties suffered by Pakistani troops were not known immediately but several of their posts were hit in the retaliatory action, the officials said.

On October 21, three soldiers of Jammu and Kashmir light infantry regiment and two heavily-armed infiltrators, believed to be members of the Border Action Team (BAT) of the Pakistan army, and terrorists, were killed in Sunderbani sector.

On November 6, a soldier was injured when he was hit by a sniper from across the border at Kalal in Noushera sector of Rajouri, while a BSF jawan was injured in a separate incident of firing by Pakistan along the LoC in the Manjakote area of the Rajouri-Poonch sector Friday.